Punjab, Kerala join hands to improve livestock genetics

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The North News

Chandigarh, September 25

Punjab and Kerala have signed a landmark agreement aimed at improving livestock productivity and farmer incomes by sharing expertise and genetic resources in animal husbandry. At a meeting in Chandigarh on September 25, Punjab’s Animal Husbandry Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Kerala’s Animal Husbandry Minister Chinchu Rani finalised the deal, which includes the exchange of superior livestock genetics.

Under the agreement, Kerala will procure Sahiwal breed bulls from Punjab, while Punjab will buy 30,000 doses of Holstein Friesian semen and 60,520 doses of Murrah buffalo semen from the Kerala Livestock Development Board. Officials said this initiative will combine Punjab’s strength in indigenous breeds with Kerala’s experience in high-yielding crossbreeds.

The collaboration also covers advanced reproductive technologies, including Embryo Transfer (ET), In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), and genomic selection, with the aim of accelerating breed improvement and enhancing productivity.

Both states will also establish exchange programmes for veterinarians, scientists and trainees to strengthen skills, knowledge and capacity-building. Khudian described the agreement as a “bridge between the strengths of North and South India in the animal husbandry sector”, while Rani said Kerala was eager to learn from Punjab’s experience while sharing its own advances.

The Officials said the partnership sets a new standard for inter-state cooperation in agriculture’s allied sectors, with the potential to raise milk production, improve livestock quality and deliver long-term benefits to farming communities.